Ubuntu 9.04 won't run

Hello all! I am currently using a brand new Dell with Windows XP that has plenty of memory and such. I want to use Windows for the most part for my work, but there is one application I need to use where I need Linux. I installed Ubuntu 9.04 on a second internal hard drive and it installed fine. When I boot up my computer I get the option of running Windows XP or Ubuntu, so I must have done something right. When I choose Ubuntu, it proceeds like it is going to work and gives me the option of pressing [Esc] for the menu. If I let it go without going to the menu or if I choose the menu and boot it in 'normal mode' (I haven't tried any other modes), the screen changes, and I get a white cursor in the top left hand corner. Soon after the cursor appears it disappears and there is a flash of blue across the top and then......nothing. I mean nothing. The screen goes black, the computer stops crunching and nothing happens.

Unfortunately my department doesn't support Linux, so there is no where here to go for hands on help. And I have already tapped the ideas from computer savvy people around. Does anyone out there have any idea what I can do to get it to run?

Related bugs

Related FAQ:

I have a few questions.
What graphics card is in your computer?
What version of ubuntu are you trying to install?
Did you try the live session to see if ubuntu would work on your system or did you just install it?

The graphics card is: ATI Radeon HD 3450 (Dell Optiplex).
I installed 9.04.
I tried the live version by booting up from the CD with the Ubuntu image on it, but it was acting strange. So I opened up the CD in Windows and installed that way. I can see Ubuntu and the files on my D drive, but I just can't seem to get it to work.

shane fagan requested for more information:
I have a few questions.
What graphics card is in your computer?
What version of ubuntu are you trying to install?
Did you try the live session to see if ubuntu would work on your system or did you just install it?

A friend of mine had this problem too. I advised him to download Release
8.04 and run the live CD first. If all ok, then install. If the system
is running the system will aromatically offer you to update the
distribution. He did all that and his system is running fine.

So, the advice I can give you takes some time but might be the
solution.

Download release 8.04.
Run the live CD.
Everything Ok? Then install from the Live CD.

Let us know if that did the job.

Rob

Op dinsdag 07-07-2009 om 00:45 uur [tijdzone +0000], schreef jhunter:

> Question #76264 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/76264
>
> Status: Needs information => Open
>
> jhunter gave more information on the question:
> The graphics card is: ATI Radeon HD 3450 (Dell Optiplex).
> I installed 9.04.
> I tried the live version by booting up from the CD with the Ubuntu image on it, but it was acting strange. So I opened up the CD in Windows and installed that way. I can see Ubuntu and the files on my D drive, but I just can't seem to get it to work.
>
>
> --- On Mon, 7/6/09, shane fagan <email address hidden> wrote:
>
>
> From: shane fagan <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #76264]: Ubuntu 9.04 won't run
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: Monday, July 6, 2009, 8:22 PM
>
>
> Your question #76264 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/76264
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> shane fagan requested for more information:
> I have a few questions.
> What graphics card is in your computer?
> What version of ubuntu are you trying to install?
> Did you try the live session to see if ubuntu would work on your system or did you just install it?
>

8.04 is better for corporate and business use as it has Long Term Support. Also there's professional support which you could access in addition to these forumshttp://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid
although it's about as expensive as buying a Windows licence

rather than the wobbly Wubi way that sits on top of and depends on Windows systems? The proper way is much more robust and better for a long-term install where the Wubi is designed as a demo of Ubuntu. I think you have done the right way but just thought i would check ;)

Was that Ubuntu server edition or desktop edition? The server edition does not have a graphical desktop environment for security purposes, desktops are a little wobbly but the command-line is rock solid.

Mostly for normal use the desktop edition is what we need and if we have to reboot every couple of months then it really doesn't hurt anyone. Servers have to be able to stay on with no reboots.

Alternatively it could be that for some odd reason the graphical interface isn't working properly and dropped you into the CommandLineInterface (CLi). Hmm, this is odd because you installed and ran Ubuntu fine until recently on that machine?

Please could you try downloading a different version of linux, a distro called Wolvix Hunter 1.1.0http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=wolvix
and try the LiveCd of that? Hopefully that might give an indication of working which would possibly tell us something. The Hunter edition has OpenOffice which i find helpful.
Good luck and regards from
Tom

Tom proposed the following answer:
Please could you try downloading a different version of linux, a distro called Wolvix Hunter 1.1.0http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=wolvix
and try the LiveCd of that? Hopefully that might give an indication of working which would possibly tell us something. The Hunter edition has OpenOffice which i find helpful.
Good luck and regards from
Tom

It is not about Linux version and any other Ubuntu edition. The problem is about the ATI graphics card. And Ubuntu standard desktop edition also has OpenOffice preinstalled.

In the Grub screen (where you choose to boot windows or Ubuntu), press "e" ket to edit. Then add "acpi=off acpi=noapic" (without the " marks) at the end of the line. Then press enter, then press "b" to boot.

Ahhh, thanks Ufuk :) That sounds a good thing to try. Yes, ubuntu has a lot of programs included in all it's various versions and is a much more fully featured distro.

Wolvix Hunter can be helpful in trouble-shooting and even in fixing problems on linux or Windows machines *shrugs* I wasn't suggesting installing and using Wolvix instead of Ubuntu although it can be good to do that before installing Ubuntu. The Wolvix installer is an excellent tutorial on "how-to" install a linux, particularly as a dual-boot. It gives an overview of the whole process all the way through so you can really see what's going on and it's quite quick so it's easy to try a couple of times to get used to it. Wiping it and installing Ubuntu over the top of that space is then quite easy.

I hope this helps clarify what i was saying before!
Thanks, good luck and regards from
Tom :)

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